Fires in Indian hospitals: Substandard facilities, not fate

Another tragedy yesterday claimed seven lives in Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, last month the case of ten newborn babies killed by flames in Utaar Pradesh. At least 11 serious accidents with more than 100 deaths in the last five years. The causes are always the same: poorly designed emergency exits, failure to check the electrical load, carelessness in storing combustible materials. And justice is slow to prosecute those responsible.

Delhi (AsiaNews) - Seven people, including a three-year-old child, died in a fire at a private hospital in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu State, on Thursday evening, 12 December.

The flames - probably originating from a short circuit - enveloped the entire facility, which specialises in orthopaedics. Rescue teams freed six people who had been trapped in a lift after breathing in the fumes of the fire: they were taken to other facilities to treat the severe intoxication.

Fires in healthcare facilities are unfortunately not an isolated incident in India. Just a month ago, the country was deeply shaken by the death of 10 newborn babies caused by flames in the Jhansi University Hospital in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

On that occasion, the Indian Express newspaper had analysed the causes and consequences of 11 serious hospital fires over the past five years, which had claimed a total of 107 lives. With the exception of one case from earlier this year, in all the others those accused of gross negligence - hospital owners or directors - were at large on bail and in seven cases their court cases are dragging on.

According to the Times of India, Delhi has recorded as many as 66 hospital fires in the last two years, 30 in 2022 and 36 in 2023. The last fire occurred on 25 May 2024, when seven newborn babies lost their lives in the flames at the private neonatal hospital in the Vivek Vihar area, east of Delhi. In that case, the facility was operating with an expired licence, had no qualified doctors and had not obtained the necessary authorisation from the fire brigade.

In general, officials emphasise the complexity of evacuating patients, especially in children's hospitals: many do not have adequate infrastructure, such as wider staircases and compartments for rapid evacuation.

Fire investigations identify virtually always the same incriminating factors: poorly designed emergency exits, failure to check electrical loads, irrational use of oxygen and failure to follow protocols for storing combustible materials. Hence the urgency of adequate safety measures and stricter monitoring to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

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